Marvel announces the launch of an all-new Ultimate Universe, from the upcoming Ultimate Invasion miniseries by Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch. The new universe will begin in November Ultimate Universe #1, a one-shot by Hickman and artist Stefano Caselli, with a cover by Bryan Hitch.
The one-shot will then lead into a series of new comic book titles in the new Ultimate Universe, written and drawn by a number of Marvel’s most popular current creators, reusing the Ultimate Universe concept that had been missing since Marvel. Secret Wars crossing in 2015.
What is the Ultimate Universe?
Launched with Ultimate Spider-Man #1 in 2000, the Ultimate Universe was a comic book line that allowed creators to introduce all-new versions of classic Marvel characters, without the decades of continuity that came with them. Many of these revamped concepts, particularly the Ultimate (the Ultimate Universe version of the Avengers), were major influences for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s approach to Marvel heroes.
The comic book line also introduced a number of major creative voices from Marvel in the 2000s, from Brian Michael Bendis to Ultimate Spider-Man to Mark Millar on Ultimate X-Men And Ultimate, and later writers like Nick Spencer, Robert Kirkman and Jonathan Hickman himself, and artists like Sara Pichelli and David Marquez. Over the years, however, various changes to the Ultimate Universe caused the line to fall apart, and by 2015 only one regular title remained, Ultimate Spider-Man, which at that time featured a new character, Miles Morales, the most notable new character introduced to the Ultimate Universe. In 2015, Marvel eliminated the Ultimate Universe, with Miles now part of the “regular” Marvel Universe, with The Maker, the evil Ultimate Universe version of Reed Richards, who will be the central villain of Ultimate Invasion.
What do Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch have to say about the new comic book line?
Hickman described the new project, “What made the Ultimate Universe really interesting originally was that it was a reflection of the world outside your window, when you lived. What is it like in the world we live in? NOW? It’s quite shocking how much the world has changed during this time. The idea of what it would be like to see the genesis of superheroes in a whole new world is a truly fascinating exercise.
Bryan Hitch added, “You never need to have read the Ultimate Universe to enjoy it. There are some great comics in there, but it doesn’t need you to be familiar with that stuff. Just enter the first page and enjoy it as the story takes you where you need to go.
Source: Marvel